On Friday, October 18, 2024, APSIA and the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy welcomed 18 community college and undergraduate advisors from 6 institutions to the 2024 APSIA Advisor Workshop in Ann Arbor. 

Dustin Castro, Associate Director of Recruiting and Admissions at the Ford School of Public Policy, kicked off the day with a brief welcome to the campus and talked about the school's call to change the world through international affairs and policy.

Then, Castro invited Casey Sullens, Assistant Director of Employer Relations at the Ford School, to moderate the discussion on public and international affairs career possibilities. Speaker Brittney Barros, Children & Youth Engagement Coordinator at the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (Univ. of Michigan Ford School Alumna), shared her journey as a first-generation college student from foster care and experiencing homelessness, which inspired her to pursue a career in social work. She felt it was a natural fit at first, and through this work later saw opportunities to create change through public policy. With regard to serving students from under-resourced backgrounds, she encouraged advisors to take a holistic approach to each student and shared the crucial roles that advisors serve along her own journey – especially with accessing mental health resources and ADA accommodations, learning soft skills, and requesting letters of recommendation. 

After a brief break, advisors heard from Ford School graduate students Joanna Bascom and Hope Wang. Moderated by Castro, the panelists discussed how advisors can assist their students as they compare graduate degrees and navigate financial aid options. While Wang went straight into graduate school and Bascom took about five years before returning to school, they both encouraged prospective students to take time before rushing into another degree program so that they can think critically about the specific benefits a graduate degree will bring to their careers. They emphasized the importance of choosing a field of study that truly excites them and adopting a practical and financially feasible approach to graduate school. For instance, students can explore job positions they aspire to and prepare a budget with their expected expenses and income, then tailor their studies accordingly.

After lunch, advisors reconvened for an interactive conversation moderated by Ford School Assistant Director, Undergraduate Career Services Gail Tien. Looking at how advisors can connect their global-minded students with regional opportunities, Nick Najor, Community Benefits Specialist at Gordie Howe International Bridge (Univ. of Michigan Ford School Alumnus), helped advisors visualize the local and global partnerships required to bring a bridge connecting Detroit, United States and Windsor, Canada to life. He also emphasized that students should be intentional about exploring the many other ways that global phenomena manifest in our daily lives such as through the creation of bridge-related jobs on both sides of the border, bilingualism and language learning, immigration, and more.

To close out the day, APSIA Constituent Relations Coordinator Britnee Chuor shared more about the PISA Network, opportunities to re-connect, and the breadth of events and resources now available to them and their students. Learn more at pisanetwork.com. 

Attendees came from

• Kalamazoo College
• Michigan State University
• Mid Michigan College
• Siena Heights University
• University of Michigan
• Washtenaw Community College

Attendees had great things to say about the workshop:

• “I really liked hearing from professionals/ students in this field.” (J. Campbell, Siena Heights University)
• “The speakers were great! Overall everything was wonderful.” (S. Hampton, Univ. of Michigan)
• “Everything is perfect! Grateful for breakfast and lunch! Glad to know [about] MSU alumni's experience in MPP. Very helpful to learn about other students' pathway to MPP and opportunities in scholarships.” (J. Mei, Michigan State University).
• “The presenters today had a lot of unique perspectives and were refreshing.” (Eric R. Wittig, University of Michigan).